Prior to Mike Leach’s arrival in Lubbock, no Red Raiders head coach had ever made the cover of the New York Times Magazine, been profiled on “60 Minutes” or led Texas Tech to 10 consecutive bowl games. And prior to this morning, no major college football program has ever fired it’s head coach just 3 days before playing a bowl game. Leach’s attorney, Ted Ligget, had previously implied Tuesday’s suspension over the handling of injured WR Adam James was a prelude to the coach’s dismissal, a move that either saves the institution $800,000.00 or puts Leach in line to own the entire school after he’s won a lawsuit. And as both sides ramp up their muddy arsenals, there’s no shortage of Leach acolytes attacking the credibility of James, writes CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd :
Among those criticizing James in e-mails obtained on Tuesday was former star quarterback Graham Harrell, who questioned the severity of some of James’ injuries.
“During the offseason,” Harrell wrote, “he often would be skipping lifts in the weight room or finding ways to cut corners.”
Inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley was particularly critical of James in his e-mails. Riley said that James was one of three receivers sent to run stairs as discipline for unsatisfactory work.
“He [James] complained to me that we were not doing our jobs as coaches and that his effort was just fine … It’s just another example of Adam thinking that he knows more about coaching than people who have been coaching their entire lives. I have no doubt that anger from this led to where we are today … and is his way of trying to “get back” at us coaches.”
Former player Eric Morris wrote that the team felt “negative energy” from James who expected the team “to baby him” because he was the son of a famous player.